Towards an integrated service response to the link between legal and health issues
Mary Anne NooneLaw School, Faculty of Law and Management, La Trobe University, Vic. 3086, Australia. Email: m.noone@latrobe.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 15(3) 203-211 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY09013
Published: 9 September 2009
Abstract
International research that confirms links between health issues and legal needs and the prevalence of non-legal services as the first port of call for assistance with legal problems has reinvigorated interest in providing integrated legal and health services. This article details research that indicates experiencing ‘justiciable events’ (problems for which there is a potential legal remedy) leads to stress, anxiety and deterioration in physical or mental health problems. Health consequences are identified for those that do not obtain appropriate and timely legal assistance. People often experience clusters of legal and non-legal problems that require a range of responses. For those that seek assistance with their justiciable event, most seek this assistance from non-legal sources. Within the legal aid sector, these research findings are considered compelling reasons to integrate legal, health and welfare services. However, the co-ordination and collocation of legal and non-legal services (particularly for disadvantaged communities) is not a straightforward solution. Drawing on the experience of several examples of integrated approaches in legal, health and welfare service delivery including the longstanding arrangements between the West Heidelberg Community Legal Service, which is collocated with Banyule Community Health, a range of challenges facing those agencies wishing to develop relationships to provide integrated legal, health and welfare services are identified.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Kate Digney for research assistance and to the Legal Services Board Victoria for research funding. Thanks also to the two reviewers of this article for their thoughtful and detailed comments.
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and Noone and Curran (2008).
3 The LSRC survey is now conducted on a continuing basis. For further details of surveys and related publications see website http://www.lsrc.org.uk/ (accessed 29 January 2009).
4 This was recently confirmed in a Victorian study into the experience of those with debt who seek assistance from financial counsellors (Schetzer 2007).
5 For example the Federal Government’s GP Super Clinics http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/pacd-gpsuperclinic-about (accessed 11 June 2009).
6 For a summary of international and national experiences of joined up government see State Services Authority 2007. For a more critical assessment of ‘joined up’ policy approaches in Australia see Saunders (2008).
7 This facility is modelled on a project in Redhook New York State, USA and North Liverpool UK. For more detail see http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/DOJ+Internet/Home/The+Justice+System/Neighbourhood+Justice/JUSTICE+-+Neighbourhood+Justice+-+Home (accessed 11 June 2009).
8 However, recently commercial lawyers have called for a form of integrated service, multi-disciplinary partnerships (MDP). After heated debate within legal professional organisations both in Australia and internationally, a limited form of MDP is now allowed (Brustin 2002; Norwood and Paterson 2002; Dal Pont 2006, pp. 458–460; Castles 2008).
9 http://www.bchs.org.au/ (accessed 9 February 2009).
10 Currently a research project is obtaining both quantitative and qualitative material on this arrangement. This is funded by the Legal Service Board Victoria.
11 The Annual Reports of the West Heidelberg Legal Service detail a range of examples.
12 Students working in a clinical environment that utilises an integrated approach can evaluate the merits of an integrated approach as well as identify and develop relevant skills.
